Convertible shirt collar



March 25, 1947. s. TOULOUMlS 2,418,058

CONVERTIBLE SHIRT COLLAR Filed July 16, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 25, 1947. s. TOULOUMIS CONVERTIBLE SHIRT COLLAR Filed July 16, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 25, 1947 CONVERTIBLE SHIRT COLLAR Simon Touloumis, Troy, N. Y., assignor toCluctt Peabody & 00., 1110., Troy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 16, 1943, Serial No. 494,959

This invention pertains to wearing apparel and more particularly to shirt collars of the convertible type, the object of the invention being to provide a convertible collar having means operative to establish distinct lines of fold about which the collar may be folded when worn turned up or turned down respectively.

In the accompanying drawings wherein one desirable embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example,

Fig. l is a fragmentary front elevation of a shirt having the improved collar of the present invention attached thereto, the collar being shown turned down as a sport collar;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the collar turned up for use with a necktie;

Fig. 3 is a view of the rear ply of the collar;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the inside of the rear ply, the collar being turned inside out;

Fig. 5 is a section to larger scale on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section to larger scale on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. '7 is another section of the same, to larger scale, approximately midway between lines 55 ad 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings the numeral I designates a shirt of customary type having the attached collar 2. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the collar 2 is turned down for use as a sport collar, being folded along the line 4. In Fig. 2 the collar is turned up and folded along the line 5.

The front ply 6 of the collar (Figs. 5 and 6) is preferably a single unitary piece of material extending through the top portion and neck band portions of the collar. The collar has the interliner portion 1 which, as here illustrated, is also a single piece of material of substantially the same dimensions as the frontv ply 6.

The rear ply of the collar comprises the top portion 8 (Fig. 4) and the neck band portion 9, said parts being united by a seam ill, the junction of the parts 8 and 9 providing the edge H (Figs. 4 and 5) which forms the fold line about which the collar is folded when worn in the position of Fig. 2. The rear ply of the collar also comprises the auxiliary piece I2, preferably of somewhat stiffer material than the fabric which forms the neck band proper, and which is of less length than the outer ply of the neck band. The member I2 is symmetrically disposed with respect to the outer ply of the neck band and at its cen- 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-131) in width at its opposite ends, thus providing the edges l3 (Fig. 4) which diverge downwardly and outwardly from the edge H as viewed in Fi 4. Seams l4 unite these divergent edge portions of the part 12 to the body portion of the neck band. The edges l3 define secondary fold lines at opposite ends of the collar about which the collar may be folded when worn in the turned-down position of Fig. 1. Since there is but a single thickness of the relatively thin neck band material between the fold lines II and I3, the collar tends to fold about one of the lines II or 13, and the single piece front ply insures a smooth unwrlnkled appearance where it extends across the single thickness of the rear ply between the lines II and i3. Thus whether the collar be worn turned up or turned down it folds smoothly and without tendency to wrinkle, thus providing a much neater appearance than it has heretofore been possible to obtain with previous constructions of convertible collars.

In the manufacture of a collar in accordance with this invention, the first step is to cut all of the pieces to shape and size. The pieces may then be connected together in the following sequence:

(1) The neckband reinforcement I2 is disposed face to face with and stitched to the lower piece 9 of the rear ply;

(2) The pieces 8 and} are superposed face to face, with the piece I2 on the outside and the lower strip or piece 9 is stitched to the upper part 8 of the rear ply along a line spaced substantially from an edge, such as the line of stitching Illa;

(3) The piece 9 is then turned over along the line of stitching Illa, so as to extend away from piece 8, and the pieces 8 and 9 again stitched together along line l0.

(4) The face ply 'l and the stiflener or interliner 6 are aligned and disposed face to face, then disposed against the rear ply with the stiffener l2 on the outside, as shown in Fig. 5, and the superposed plies stitched together by the stitchtral portion is caught into the seam I 0 which unites the parts 8 and 9. The part l2 tapers (5) The collar is next turned inside out, and then may be secured to a shirt.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has herein been disclosed by way of example it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all equivalent constructions whereby'the same result is attained and which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A convertible shirt collar comprising a facing ply and a rear ply, the rear ply comprising parts having divergent edges which deflne two distinct fold lines about which the collar may be folded whether worn turned up or turned down, respectively, and a single thickness of material bridging the space between said edges, the rear ply being of single thickness between said fold lines.

2. A convertible shirt. collar comprising a facing ply and a rear ply, the rear ply of the collar comprising two overlapping parts of material united by a seam which extends along and closely adjacent to the edge of one of said overlapping parts, said edge forming one told line, a second seam divergent from the first and which also unites two overlapping parts of material, said last mentioned seam extending along and closely adjacent to an edge of one of said last mentioned overlapping parts, said last named edge forming a second fold line, the rear ply being of single thickness between said fold forming edges.

3. A convertible shirt collar comprising a facing ply and a rear ply. the rear ply comprising 10 ate said fold forming edges.

SIMON TOULOUMIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 15 tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,310,899 Leeds Feb. 9, 1943 20 2,344,204 Doumaux Mar. 14, 1944 2,101,798 Madsen Dec. 7, 1937 

